ANNA TURLEY: ‘Nigel Farage must take an extended, arduous have a look at himself’
‘Nigel Farage needs to decide whether he’s prepared to be a responsible party leader, or drag his party further into the gutter’, the Labour Party Chair Anna Turley writes
While many across the country will be heading to see family for a well-earned Christmas break, Nigel Farage appears to be stuck in a festive horror story of his own making.
Shocking allegations about Farage’s behaviour at his old private school, Dulwich College, refuse to go away. Former pupils have accused him of making appalling antisemitic and other racist comments, including saying “Hitler was right” and joking about Nazi gas chambers.
Farage has given about 5 different explanations as to what happened – but he can’t seem to admit whether he did racially abuse people. And just this week, 25 former students and one ex-teacher publicly have expressed their “dismay and rage” at Farage’s response – rejecting his suggestion that the allegations were politically motivated. He cannot just dismiss so many people who have bravely come forward.
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It’s an all too familiar routine from Farage. Deny, deflect, and hope the problem goes away. It’s high time he just apologised to those who’ve bravely come forward and take some responsibility.
We’ve seen the same pattern elsewhere. Farage has repeatedly refused to properly address concerns about pro-Russia links within Reform UK, even after the party’s former Welsh leader, Nathan Gill, was jailed for taking bribes to promote pro-Russian propaganda.
This all comes as fears about Russian interference in the UK continue to grow, as they carry on with their barbaric war in Ukraine. Any party claiming to be patriotic should be bending over backwards to root out any potential foreign influence. Yet Farage can’t bring himself to investigate. This is hardly surprising, given he once described Vladimir Putin as the world leader he admired most.
And the problems don’t stop there. Reform’s candidate for the Hampshire and Solent mayoral election, Chris Parry, remains in the spotlight after posting online that our Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, should “go home to the Caribbean”, and questioning his loyalty to Britain on the basis of his race.
Once again, Farage has refused to condemn these comments and more that have since come to light – let alone sack his candidate. This repeated failure to grip his party shows exactly why Reform just isn’t fit for high office. They are happy to deepen division, avoid accountability, and drag politics into a dark place.
Meanwhile, this Labour government is getting on with the job of delivering for working people. Investing in our future. Not shouting from the sidelines and turning on each other. In the New Year, Nigel Farage needs to take a long, hard look at himself and decide whether he’s prepared to be a responsible party leader, or drag his party further into the gutter. I for one won’t be holding my breath.
‘Shameful opposition from Reform and Tories to workers’ rights’
This week, we passed the Employment Rights Bill into law – bringing the UK’s outdated employment laws into the 21st century.
Workers are set to gain new rights and protections, including curbs on zero hours contracts and fire and rehire, day one sick pay, and improved parental rights. This legislation passed despite shameful opposition from Reform, the Tories, the Greens and the Liberal Democrats. Reform opposed the Bill, saying they want to make it “easier to hire and fire”.
The Tories said they would scrap every measure – declaring war on workers. Meanwhile, Lib Dem and Green peers joined Tory plots to water down the Bill. It has been a long fight, but this result is a major victory for working people, securing for them a stronger, fairer, and brighter future. That’s the difference Labour makes.
‘The UK stands with the Jewish community’
As the Prime Minister has said, Chanukah should be a time of celebration and joy, not fear or violence. The attack on Jewish families at Bondi Beach as they came together to celebrate was truly sickening.
The UK stands with the Jewish community in Australia, in the UK and around the world, and my thoughts remain with the victims and their loved ones. This government will do everything possible to ensure Jewish people are safe and confront antisemitism in all its forms.
‘Nigel Farage a fan of unfunded spending’
I’m sure Nigel Farage has been keeping up with Liz Truss’s new YouTube show. After all, like Truss, he seems to be a big fan of unfunded spending commitments – and would no doubt be just as capable of crashing the economy in record time.
